MINUTES OF
MEETING
NORTH SPRINGS
IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT
The regular meeting of the Board of Supervisors of the North Springs
Improvement District was held Wednesday, July 3, 2002 at 4:05 P.M. in the
District Office, 10300 N. W. 11 Manor, Coral Springs,
Florida.
Present and constituting a quorum were:
Matt Lauritzen
President
Salvatore J. Mendolia
Secretary
Thomas L. Grossjung
Vice President
Also present were:
Rhonda K. Archer
Finance Director
Dennis Lyles
Attorney
Donna Holiday
Recording Secretary
Jane Early
Gee & Jenson
Warren Craven
WCI Communities
FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS
Roll Call
Mr. Lauritzen called the meeting to order at 4:05
p.m.
SECOND ORDER OF BUSINESS
Approval of the Minutes of the May 23, 2002
Meeting
Mr. Lauritzen stated that each Board member had received a copy of the
minutes of the May 23, 2002 meeting and requested any additions, corrections or
deletions.
There not being any,
On MOTION by Mr. Mendolia seconded by
Mr. Lauritzen with all in favor the minutes of the May 23, 2002 meeting were
approved as submitted.
THIRD ORDER OF BUSINESS
Public Hearing to Consider the Adoption of the Budget for Fiscal Year
2003 and Levy of Non Ad Valorem Assessments
Ms. Archer stated the only changes in the budget from the one distributed
two months ago, is due to the number of assessable units that were updated and
sent to us yesterday. I will
distribute the revised budget along with a chart showing the assessment levy on
each area. Each year the Property
Appraiser goes through their rolls and determines the number of assessable units
in each of our assessment areas. We
have so many different areas because over the years we have annexed property
into the District and developed a water management plan around those annexations
and have issued bonds to incorporate those areas into an overall water
management system so that each area pays for its own related water management
system. The bonds associated with
the original area of North Springs have been paid off and the owners in that
area pay only a maintenance assessment.
Everyone in Supplement No. 1 pays the supplement No. 1 bonds, the people
in Supplement No. 2 pay for the supplement no. 2 bonds and the people in
Supplement No. 3 pay for the supplement no. 3 bonds. Not all of the Supplement 3 and not all
of the Supplement No. 2 bonds have been issued yet. We will come back to you later this year
to talk about another bond issue that will provide water management service to
the future areas being developed in North Springs.
Everybody receives a maintenance assessment which comes from the general
fund that we are proposing to be $60.39 which is exactly what it was last
year. In order to keep the
assessments level we fund up or fund down our reserves that we set aside for
pump and engine replacements.
Everybody pays the administrative and maintenance assessment of $60.39
except for North Springs 6 which is an area that encompasses the Beaty
property. They only pay the
administrative assessments at this time because they receive no water management
service in that area. When we issue
future bonds for the Beaty area, they will receive a maintenance assessment at
that time.
The debt service schedules tie back to these numbers related to the debt
service. In addition there is the
Heron Bay Mitigation area. All of
the Heron Bay property has mitigation areas within it that the District has
accepted and agreed to provide maintenance of those mitigation areas. They get a special assessment for that
each year depending on the budget and that is projected to stay the same as the
prior year. We bid that contract
every two years and this year we propose to add another area to that contract
but because we have more platted units in that area, we are able to keep the
assessment the same after we add the additional expense.
Heron Bay Commons maintenance and Heron Bay Commons debt is levied
against the Heron Bay Commons property.
Some of it is levied per platted lot basis and the rest is levied against
the unplatted acres which is why you will see $250 and $350 per lot in some
columns and other columns are unplatted acres and it is a larger number for the
acreage calculation.
Parkland Isles maintenance and Parkland Isles debt remains the same as in
prior years.
There are 12,612 assessable units which are either a platted lot and if
it is unplatted it is an acre. An
acre eventually gets platted into lots and is why there are more assessable
units this year than last year because one acre can be platted into 2 or 3
lots. In most cases the assessments
have remained the same or gone slightly down. In some case, however, they have gone
slightly up which is related to the debt service fund budget and the number of
assessable units in that particular area.
Mr. Mendolia asked on the tax levy history, how did the number go down
from 2001 to 2002?
Ms. Archer responded the year before we had to fund up additional funds
to replace some pumps and engines in our pump stations and then we moved back
down to where we were the year before.
The biggest thing that helps us reduce our levy each year is the platting
that takes place where an acre may be platted into 2 or 3 lots, then it becomes
2 or 3 assessable units instead of one.
Our denominator increases each year and our numerator basically stays
about the same or rises a little bit.
Each year in theory our assessments should come down a little bit or stay
even assuming that the more houses being built, we will incur more maintenance
expense for the canals being dug.
Our maintenance assessments are leveling out at the same rate as
development.
Mr. Grossjung stated there are only two sections, NS 2A and NS 2B that
have a modest increase in their history and that is due to debt service
increase.
Ms. Archer responded that is correct. Their general fund assessment remained
the same as it was the prior year but their debt service went up and that is
because of the debt service schedule that is tied to their bonds. It increases and decreases each year by
$5,000 increments. You can only
amortize bonds and call bonds in $5,000 increments. It is not like a mortgage where you can
make the annual payment be exactly the same amount each year. Some years you will pay off $5,000 more
and some years $5,000 less but it stays within that range.
Mr. Grossjung stated from our perspective we need to maintain control
over the general fund which is where we have discretionary ability to curtail
spending.
Ms. Archer responded that is correct. We have no control over the debt service
amortization schedule. When we
originally issued the bonds we said based upon certain assumptions that it would
never exceed a certain amount and it does not exceed that amount because that is
based on the maximum annual debt service in any one year. We are always under the cap that was
disclosed when we originally issued the bonds but we are moving up and down a
little bit each year to amortize that years debt.
Mr. Grossjung stated the variables in the Heron Bay Commons maintenance
is a function of what the homeowners decided they want.
Ms. Archer responded it is the same maintenance budget we had the year
before and it is $250 per unit. The
variance from the prior year relates to the number of lots that have been
platted out of the acres.
Mr. Grossjung asked what constitutes the
mitigation?
Ms. Archer responded all of the property in Heron Bay that we provide
special mitigation service for and we have a contract for that, plus the
additional property that we will add into those mitigation areas. As they develop more property, they
create more mitigation areas and we agree to maintain them and assess the
residents for them that are benefiting from those. We have increased our expense for
mitigation in anticipation of accepting those new areas next year but with it,
we have more assessable units in Heron Bay because more property is being
platted.
Mr. Mendolia stated there is nothing on the chart for Parkland Isles
maintenance and debt.
Ms. Archer responded in the back of the budget is the Parkland Isles
budget and we neglected to put that in the chart that I distributed. The Parkland isles budget has not
changed from the draft that I gave you two months ago. It is still $325 per year for the
maintenance budget and the same debt service assessment that was
adopted.
Mr. Grossjung stated the proposed levy will be modified by the Parkland
Isles assessments.
Ms. Archer responded yes it will.
There are 212 fifty-five foot lots, 235 seventy foot lots and 159 eighty
foot lots in Parkland Isles and each receives a different debt assessment and
they all receive the same maintenance assessment. Resolution 2002-3 spells out the
different areas in the District, the different maintenance and debt assessments
for those areas and what they will be assessed and we will attach a chart to it
as an exhibit.
Mr. Grossjung stated in the Resolution there are numbers missing on page
2.
Ms. Archer stated I will read those into the
record.
Number of Units
Heron Bay w/M
Unit 3C
7
Unit 3D
10
Unit 4
710
Unit 4A
725
Unit 4B
75
Unit 5A
878
Unit 4C
98
Unit 5
277
Unit 6
678
We will put those numbers in the Resolution
Mr. Grossjung stated the Resolution incorporates the additions for Heron
Bay mitigation, maintenance and debt but I don't see anything that incorporates
Parkland Isles.
Ms. Archer stated historically we haven't included them but that is a
good point. I think they should be
in here and with your permission I will make that change and ask that when you
approve the resolution to approve it with the amendment to add the Parkland
isles assessments. It does
reference an attached Exhibit "A" which will have the Parkland isles on the
attachment but it should be referenced in the Resolution. I will add a section that does
that.
Mr. Grossjung asked Mr. Lyles are you comfortable with
that?
Mr. Lyles responded yes.
Mr. Lauritzen opened the public hearing and there being no comments or
questions from the public,
On MOTION by Mr. Grossjung seconded by
Mr. Mendolia with all in favor Resolution 2002-3 levying assessments for payment
of debt service and maintenance costs for the period October 1, 2002 through
September 30, 2003 subject to the addition of the Parkland Isles assessments and
other changes outlined above, was approved.
On MOTION by Mr. Grossjung seconded by
Mr. Lauritzen with all in favor the budget for fiscal year 2003 was
adopted.
FOURTH ORDER OF BUSINESS
Consideration of Award of Contracts
A. Underwater
Diving Services
Ms. Archer stated provided in your agenda package is the tabulation of
bids received for underwater diving services. We received three bids and the low bid
was Industrial Divers of $19,925.
Industrial Divers has performed this service for us in the past and they
are familiar with the work and scope of services.
On MOTION by Mr. Grossjung seconded by
Mr. Mendolia with all in favor the contract for underwater diving services was
awarded to Industrial Divers in the amount of their low bid of
$19,925.
B. Heron Bay East
Pod 5 and Heron Run Drive Phase 2
• Work Authorizations No. 68 and 69
for Engineering Services During Construction
• Funding Agreement with
WCI
Ms. Early stated we advertised for bids for Pod 5 and Heron Run Drive
Phase 2 which is the last pod in Heron Bay East and the remaining piece of
roadway that goes onto those parcels.
We received five bids and the low bid was submitted by Florida Sewer
& Water in the amount of $1,189,397.60. We recommend awarding the contract to
Florida Sewer & Water subject to funding being available. They have done Pods 1, 2, 3, and 4 and
they are doing the Greens and Heron Bay Central.
Ms. Archer stated this is the typical funding agreement with WCI where
they agree to fund the cost of these improvements and be repaid at a future date
out of our connection fee fund or future bond financing.
On MOTION by Mr. Grossjung seconded by
Mr. Mendolia will all in favor the contract was awarded to Florida Sewer &
Water in the amount of their low bid of $1,189,397.60, Work Authorizations 68
and 69 were approved and the funding agreement with WCI was
approved.
FIFTH ORDER OF BUSINESS
Consideration of Deed of Conservation Easement and
Agreement
Ms. Archer stated this deed is to deed over to the District additional
mitigation areas for ownership and maintenance.
Mr. Craven pointed out the additional mitigation areas on the
map.
Mr. Lyles sated this instrument is going to require that the District
grant to Broward County a perpetual conservation easement. This is part of the developer
requirements for that portion of the District and we have previously been
granted this property by the owner, WCI, and at this point we are adding a
little piece to some easements that we have conveyed to Broward County for
conservation purposes in the past.
This came up quickly. There
are some real estate documents that still need to be tied down in terms of the
chain of title and a couple of technical details like that but in talking to the
District engineer and to Mr. Craven we think we are ready to authorize the
execution of the easement and agreement by which we will convey this
conservation easement to the County and agree that we will be responsible for
maintaining it in the future subject to refining the engineering and legal
details before it is executed by the President. We sometimes get the authority for these
things at our monthly meeting subject to any loose ends that we want to tie up
before we actually have your signature on the dotted line. We did this same sort of exercise back
in 2000 for some other parcels of property and those have been successfully
managed as conservation easements within the District based on similar documents
that you authorized and executed at that time. We will make sure that these documents
line up and are consistent with what you have done in the
past.
On MOTION by Mr. Grossjung seconded by
Mr. Lauritzen with all in favor the Deed of Conservation Easement and Agreement
was approved and the President was authorized to execute same subject to final
engineering and legal review.
SIXTH ORDER OF BUSINESS
Consideration of Work Authorizations
A. Work
Authorization to Add Remaining Section of Nob Hill To Existing Design
Contract
Ms. Early stated we are under contract currently for the remaining
portion of Nob Hill, north of Heron Bay Boulevard north entrance. That work authorization is complete and
we want to incorporate that into the plans so we can bid one set of plans.
Mr. Grossjung asked is this funded from existing
bonds?
Ms. Early responded yes, Supplement 3 has existing bonds.
On MOTION by Mr. Grossjung seconded by
Mr. Lauritzen with all in favor Work Authorization to add remaining section of
Nob Hill to existing design contract was approved.
B. Work
Authorization for Design of County Line Road from Nob Hill to University Drive
Extension - Engineering Design Agreement
Ms. Early stated County Line Road is to extend from Nob Hill Road to
University and University is currently under contract to be constructed. We will probably start that in the next
couple of weeks. This will require
a funding agreement
Ms. Archer stated this will be done as a WCI funding agreement and when
we issue the water management bonds for that area they will be
repaid.
On MOTION by Mr. Grossjung seconded by
Mr. Lauritzen with all in favor the work authorization for the design of County
Line Road from Nob Hill to University Drive Extension and the engineering design
agreement with WCI were approved.
SEVENTH ORDER OF BUSINESS Consideration of
Permit Requests
A. Ratification
of Permit Issued to International Investments for Drainage Outfall for Ridgeview
Plaza
Ms. Early stated we had this permit issued in June because the property
owner was under a deadline and there was not a June board meeting. It is a typical surface water management
permit. There was nothing special
about it. We have an existing
system and they were joining up with the system.
On MOTION by Mr. Grossjung seconded by
Mr. Lauritzen with all in favor the Ridgeview Plaza permit was
ratified.
B. Landscape
Beautification Along Fence Behind Country Hills Along N. W. 104th Avenue
Access
Ms. Early stated we wrote a letter that I have with me today that was not
in your agenda package. If you read
their request, they are requesting that the District participate in the
landscape improvements either by funding or labor. In their letter it says that some of the
homeowners would consider donating money or time to install the plants. I met with Mr. Schooley and that is his
only access to that canal. If there
were debris in that canal they would have no way to get in. We are recommending denial. Mr. Schooley spoke with one of the
homeowners and he suggest they put a hedge along the fence line of the school
and I think the school was willing t do that. I don't know if the homeowners are happy
with that but this won't work. The
other problem is who is going to maintain that.
Mr. Lauritzen stated if they put ficus along that fence, our crews could
get in there with no problem.
Ms. Early stated that is correct.
There are other things they can do and that is what Mr. Schooley
discussed with them but this is what they submitted.
Ms. Archer stated what the schools have done in the past is they don't
maintain outside the fence down to the water line like the City ordinance
requires. They only maintain within
their fence. it all gets overgrown
and everyone complains to the District to maintain it and the City ordinance
requires the abutting property owner to maintain it. I recommend you put the burden on the
school to install on their side of the fence so that it will be
maintained.
On MOTION by Mr. Mendolia seconded by
Mr. Grossjung with all in favor the request was
denied.
C. Coral Park
Education Center - Drainage Outfall
D. Wyndham
Heights Parcel F - Drainage Outfall
Ms. Early stated items C and D are typical drainage outfall permits. We recommend
approval.
On MOTION by Mr. Grossjung seconded by
Mr. Mendolia with all in favor Items C and D were approved subject to the
standard permit conditions.
EIGHTH ORDER OF BUSINESS
Staff
A.
Attorney
Mr. Lyles stated I have one item in follow-up to an item that was on your
agenda in May and that is the deeds for University Drive and Trails End
construction. You authorized at
your May meeting staff to go forward and work with WCI and the property owners
and their attorneys to finalize the deeds that will be necessary to undertake
construction of Trails End and University Drive. We have done that. I have the originals here today to be
executed. The way we left it at the
last meeting was that we would have it signed in the interim and ratified at
this meeting. Since they have not
yet been signed I will ask the Board to authorize execution of the deeds
regarding construction of University Drive and Trails End. There are four separate
instruments. Two from WCI and two
from Beaty Trust. We are accepting
this right of way for construction purposes only. Ultimately, University Drive will be
turned over to the City but we will be responsible for the construction in the
interim.
On MOTION by Mr. Mendolia seconded by
Mr. Lauritzen with all in favor the President was authorized to execute the
instruments of conveyance for University Drive right of way and Trails End right
of way.
B. Engineer -
Change Order No. 2 & Final for Pinehurst Woods with Telcon, Inc. a Net
Decrease of $2,273.26
Ms. Early stated we have a final and balancing change order for Pinehurst
Woods which is now Grand Cypress Estates and is not in your package. It is a final and balancing change order
to reflect as-built quantities and is for a net decrease of
$2,273.26.
On MOTION by Mr. Grossjung seconded by
Mr. Mendolia with all in favor the final and balancing change order for
Pinehurst Woods with Telcon, Inc. for a net decrease of $2,273.26 was
approved.
C.
Superintendent
Ms. Archer stated I am distributing correspondence that has gone back and
forth between us and Stacy Ritter.
I believe each of you received in the mail during the last month a letter
that I sent out to all the residents about the water pressure in North
Springs. When we started having
water pressure problems to the west in the vicinity of Brookside Square, we
attributed it to two possibilities.
One being that our booster pump station has not been completed and is not
on line yet and that is going to provide us with additional pressure for the
properties to the west. Two, we
thought we will go out and check the valves throughout the lines and make sure
that one or more of the valves have not been closed or partially closed that
would mess up the pressure going from the plant to the west because we didn't
seem to be experiencing any problem to the east. We authorized the ordering and
installation of two high service pumps at the original water treatment plant
that we were going to install anyway for back-up and bring those on line so that
we could provide additional pressure for water going west. Then we sent the guys out over a total
of about five days and had them exercising all of the valves between the water
plant and the area where we were experiencing a problem with the water
pressure. In exercising the valves,
they turn them as far as they can one way and as far as they can the other way
in the hope that exercising them if they have gotten closed somehow over time
that they will be opening them up as far as they can go. You don't really know from what I
understand when you exercise them, if you are actually opening them any more
than they already were because by the time you turn them all the way you can to
the left then all the way to the right, you don't know if you have opened them
or not. From what we found after we
went through that process was that we don't have any more water pressure
problems. It could have been one or
it could have been more valves. In
new construction areas they find a lot of developers are closing off the valves
while they tie into the water line and then they are not opening them all the
way or they are not opening them at all.
We think over time that has attributed to that low pressure situation
that we had.
We have only heard from two people with a problem and we talked to them
every day when we were exercising the valves and having them check water
pressure as we were doing the program.
The person with the water pressure problem at the bagel shop was very
happy with the results and actually commended us and complimented everyone he
could get on the telephone on the great job that we did. I reported back to the health department
and the health department's report back to Stacy Ritter shows that we did
immediately jump on the problem and solve it.
Mr. Lauritzen stated you are telling me that you had one complaint
regarding water pressure.
Ms. Archer stated that is my understanding. I asked Ms. Ritter in my letter to
provide me with a list of the people who complained so that we could go out and
address each and every problem individually to make sure that we have solved all
the problems and I have not received that list.
Mr. Grossjung stated Ms. Archer's letter is excellent. it speaks directly to the safety level
of the water supply.
Mr. Mendolia asked what is the water pressure supposed to
be?
Ms. Archer responded it is required to be over 20 to be safe. It was leaving the plant at 60. We were turning it up as high as we
could get it which is the exact opposite of what she said in her letter. We were actually turning up the pressure
as high as we could when we realized there was a problem at the far west end of
the system. Doing that at the same
time as we exercised the valves, we were addressing it as best we could. It never fell below 25 during that
period of time. It was usually
first thing in the morning when it was low and after about 9:00 in the morning,
the pressure would be up again because people would be using less water. I think you will see an improvement when
we have the booster pump station on line because that will increase the pressure
coming from the north. right now
you have pressure coming from the south and once we bring that on line it will
be coming from the north.
NINTH ORDER OF BUSINESS
Supervisor's Requests and Audience Comments
There not being any, the next item followed.
TENTH ORDER OF BUSINESS
Approval of Invoices and Requisitions
On MOTION by Mr. Grossjung seconded by
Mr. Mendolia with all in favor the requisitions and invoices were
approved.
On MOTION by Mr. Grossjung seconded by
Mr. Mendolia with all in favor the meeting adjourned at 5:00
p.m.
Salvatore J. Mendolia
Matt Lauritzen
Secretary
President